Shoe-closure.



H. BORCHERTS.

SHOE' CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY Ia. |917.

1,260,864. Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

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Specification of Letters, lEatent.

Patented Mar. 26, i918.

Application. lfedj May 18, 1,917. Serial.A No. 169,489.

To at. 'whom t may' conce/m.'

Bie it known that, I, HENRY Boncnnn'rs, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Dahlgren, Illinois, in the county of Hamilton and State of Illinois, havev invented cer- -tatin new and useful Improvements in Shoe- Glosures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,v clear, and exact: description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the. same.V

This invention relates to improvements in shoe closures.

The object ofthis invention is to previde a closure, especially adapted for high top shoes, thus obviating the necessity of' laces, buttons or the like.`

Another object of this, invention is to provide a closure, which may be secured to low quarters, high top or any other form of shoe and is so arranged on the adjacent edges. of the upper of a shoe, so as to obviate the necessity of eyelets, thus doing away with the use of laces, buttons or the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide a shoe closure, which comprises a pair of plates, one plate constituting a keeper member and the opposite plate a lockingl member. The keeper plate is adapted to be secured adjacent one side of the upper and the locking plate is secured adjacent the other edge of the upper. The locking plate is adapted to be held securely within the keeper plate for holding the shoe closed and comfortable about the ankle of the wearer.

A still further object of this invention is `to provide a shoe closure of this character,

which will be simple, practical and comparatively inexpensive in construction, and one that can be manufactured and sold at a low cost.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and set forth in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation illustrating my improved shoe closure applied to a shoe,

Fig. 2 is 'a horizontal sectional view illustrating the manner in which the plates are intertted and fastened together, l

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the keeper plate. v

Like numerals of referencedesignate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the ordinary construction of shoe having the usual upper 2 and` to which my improved shoe closure is adapted to be applied.

My shoe closure comprises in its construction, the male member 3 and the female member 4 which are adapted toAV be secured to. the adjacent. edges of the upper 2f of the shoe.

The male member comprises a snbstantially rectangular body 4",which is securedto the inner'side of the upper of the shoe adjacent one edge thereof, and these male members are arranged at a spaced distance apart and have their forward ends located inwardly beyond the extreme edge of the upper 2 of the shoe, as shown in Fig. 2.

The forward edge of the plate is curved upwardly and outwardly as at 5 and ex tended forwardly as at 6, and the forwardly extending end is bent back upon itself to provide the hook 7, which is slotted as at 8.

The male member 3 is secured to the inner surface of the upper adjacent its edge by suitable fastening mea-ns, such as rivets or the like.

The female member 4 has a rectangular body 9, which has one end curved as at 10, which curved end isbent back upon itself to provide the hook 11, and the body is provided centrally of its side longitudinal edges with the longitudinally extending slot l2, which slot is adapted to receive the body portion 13 of the resilient spring 14, which is secured to one face of the female plate 4 centrally of the side edges thereof and extends toward the rounded edge of the tongue 11.

The spring is secured by suitable rivets 15 and is adapted to have its tongue portion overlie the opening` 12 so that it may be forced up into the opening to release the male member from the female member.

The female member is provided in its plate 9 adjacent the side edges thereof with the spaced openings 16, which facilitates the securing of the same adjacent the edge of the upper on the exterior thereof, and these plates are arranged at a spaced distan apart .and are in direct alinement with the male member carried by the adjacent edge of the upper.

rl`he male member is adapted to have its hook portion l1 interfitted under the hook portion of the female member, and the spring 13 is adapted to have its terminal engaged behind the hook 7 of the male member and securely hold the same interfitted in `of the opening of the upper on the under side thereof, a female member adapted to be secured adjacent the other edge of the upper and each of said members having their free ends bent to provide hooks, which are adapted to be intertted one within the other, said female member provided with a longitudinal Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing Washington, D. C.

slot centrally of its side edges, a spring secured by one end to the base of the female member having its opposite end arranged to be forced into the slot, said spring adapted to engage the hook portion of the male member to retain the same in the female member for holding the shoe upper closed about the angle of the user. j

2. A shoe closure comprising a male member including an attaching plate having its forward end bent upwardly and forwardly, the forward end of said portion being bent back upon itself to provide a slotted hook, said female member comprising a rectangular attaching plate having its forward end rounded and bent upon itself to provide a hook, said female member being slotted, a spring secured to the female member and overlying the slottedportion, said female member adapted to detachably receive the hooked end of the male member, a spring secured to the female member to retainthe male member therein.

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY BORCHERTS.

Witnesses: p Y

SAMUEL M. MAULDING, FRED H. BRINES.

the Commissioner of Patents, n 

